When The Dust Settles
by GreenNinja23
Summary: In a world where only one tenth of the population could do extraordinary things, Lucy Heartfilia didn't expect to be anything more. She's was on the run for a year before being found by Fairy Tail. Now she's being called the Ultimate Element and being told she's Flore's last hope to win the war against evil. With help from her friends, Lucy might just stand a chance
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! So this is my first Fairy Tail fanfiction. I've been writing Percy Jackson fanfics for about 3 years now but I thought it was time to try something new. I bought a Fairy Tail shirt today in Spencers and it all just seemed to work out. This is an AU but I'm trying not to make the characters _to_ OOC. Lucy might be at first but I promise she won't be like that for long. **

**This fanfiction is sorta a mix of my two favorite Animes. Fairy Tail and Avatar the Last Airbender. There will be differences but I do use some of the same ideas from Avatar. It will still be its own story though and I really hope you guys enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize!**

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 _~*The beginning is most important part of the work*~_

 _-Plato_

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Two men hurriedly rushed down the dark halls, their feet pounding on the wood floors and their breath coming out in uneven puffs. They both struggled to breathe properly as they ran to the back office but neither stopped to catch their breath or rest their aching bodies. Bruises were painted all over their skin and one ran with a new limp, clear signals it was a rough journey but they didn't stop or slow their pace. They wouldn't stop until they reached him. It was too important. They had been searching for so long.

Not bothering to knock, the heavier man slammed the door open. The old sign on the door reading _Master_ fell to the floor from the force. A small man, in a somewhat silly orange hat simply stared at them from behind his desk. A small desk lamp lit his face but all you could see was a dry look and a raised eyebrow.

"Master." The smaller of the two men panted. He bent forward to rest his hands on his knees as he gulped in air greedily. His tongue hung from his mouth and dangled past his chin. The man's chest was burning and felt tight but he found words. "We found her."

The small man instantly stiffened and crawled out of his chair to stand on the desk. He was able to look both men in the eye from this height. His eyes were uncharacteristically hard.

"What did you say my boy?"

"We found her. We found Lucy Heartfilia."

0~0~0~0~0

She had been running for so long and it was finally taking its toll on her; she was _so tired._ Lucy's body was sore and stiff as she tried to find a comfortable position on the ground. She tucked her knees up to her chest and rolled over to her side to try and warm herself in her dark, self-made tent. A bug crawled past her eye and Lucy let out an earth rattling shriek. As quickly as she could, she shooed the creature out of her temporary home and her brown eyes urgently scanned around her to make sure there weren't any more crawling around. Once satisfied she was alone and bug free, Lucy laid down once more. Her once beautiful and bright blonde hair was matted and caked with mud from her travels. Lucy had pulled it into a side ponytail to keep it out of her way.

The rock walls around her did nothing to warm her shaking frame. Lucy felt herself trembling from the cold wind and wished she had the courage to steal a blanket from the cart she passed an hour earlier. She couldn't afford it after buying her food and she figured having a full stomach was more important than warmth. As she shivered violently again she cursed herself and her morals.

Whenever Lucy found herself in a grim situation like this one, she always busied her mind with something else to distract from the hunger or the cold. It usually worked and after a while, she would simply drift off to sleep. Lucy normally didn't find herself sleeping on the ground, with a rock tent to protect her from the other elements. No, she could usually scam, work or pay her way for an actual room for a night before moving on again. Lucy didn't stay in one place for too long, at most staying for three days before she hurriedly continued on.

She had people looking for her; she knew she did. Lucy had seen the flyers and the news reports on the TVs in the stores. Many powerful and dangerous people were looking for her, wanting to bring her to another prison and study her and her abilities. Lucy didn't want to think about what she was; so far she hadn't met anyone else that could do what she could. Some nights she was glad; this meant she could consider herself special but other nights….Lucy got lonely. She craved for someone to understand her. The only person who truly did was gone now. And as far as Lucy knew –and she had checked- she was the last of her kind.

As long as she could remember and as far as she had read back, certain people in the world could control something others couldn't. Ninety percent of the world's population was filled with people who couldn't use or master bending arts….but the other ten percent could. Lucy had read about a man who could control electronics with a flick of a finger and a woman who could make herself and items around her float with her mind. Some bending was ranked higher among others; Lucy found herself in this category. She never bragged about it (in fear of being found by the men chasing her) but being able to control one of the main four elements meant you were one of the most powerful people in the world.

Lucy was sure there were at least three more people out in the world like her; the universe had made it that way. As long as there was at least one main element being bended, the other three had to be as well. It created a balance. At one point, Lucy hadn't been the only one to bend such an incredible element. Someone special had showed her how but she was gone now. It had been a little over ten years. Lucy's chest tightened as the memory- still as painful as the day it happened- flashed through her mind.

 _*Heartfilia Estate- Ten years ago-*_

 _Layla struggled to hold back her giggles as a seven year old Lucy struggled to get herself into the correct position. Once she noticed her mother's smile, she sighed and stomped her foot in frustration._

" _You're laughing at me!" She cried in embarrassment. Layla's smile softened as she quickly helped the young blond with her stance. Her feet were too close together. Lucy's cheeks still flamed but she quickly regained her focus and waited for her mother to tell her what to try next._

" _We're going to go easy today okay Lucy?" Layla moved to stand across from her daughter and professionally mirrored the younger girl's position. "I just want you to focus on pushing your rock forward instead of trying to lift it off the ground."_

 _Lucy nodded hurriedly and scrunched her nose in concentration as she faced the boulder in front of her. It was noticeably smaller then her mother's but her mommy had assured her that in time, as long as she kept training, Lucy too could move boulders as big as the one in front of Layla._

 _Grunting as she shifted her hands, Lucy was disappointed to see her boulder barely shifted an inch forward. If it hadn't been for the slight rumble of the ground, Lucy would have doubted she moved it at all. Lucy tried again and mentally –and angrily- chanted_ **move, move,** _ **move!**_ _in her head in hopes it would work._

 _Layla sighed as she watched her daughter lose her focus and lose herself to her anger. Lucy was normally well tempered and could easily meditate but during her training she could lose her cool if she didn't learn as fast as she thought she should._

" _Lucy listen to me." Lucy glanced over at her but ultimately continued to glare at the rock in front of her. Layla held back another sigh and smiled patiently. "You won't move the earth with force or angry looks. You and I have a wonderful connection to the ground beneath our feet. Don't you see? We can move in harmony with one another. You just have to be patient and sturdy. Feel the Earth beneath your feet and wait for the perfect moment."_

 _Layla demonstrated by taking a long breath, focusing on the large boulder in front of her and grunting as she thrusted her closed fists forward. The rock flew across the ground and into the rock wall behind it. Lucy stared in awe. It was a powerful attack; anyone at the end of that boulder would have been flattened._

" _Patient and sturdy." Lucy murmured to herself. Once again getting into position, Lucy took a deep breath like she saw her mother do and shut her eyes for a moment. She could feel the solid dirt beneath her feet; her bare toes wiggled lightly in delight. She could feel the worms and bugs under layers of dirt, moving about and she could feel flowers' roots growing deep in the soil. When she opened her eyes, her small, closed fists flew forward just as her boulder did. The force was a lot less powerful then Layla's but it had made it to the wall just like the other one. Lucy shrieked in delight and ran into her mother's arms._

" _I did it!" She cheered. Layla laughed and spun her daughter once in the air before setting her down. She ruffled her blonde hair affectionately, something she did quite often._

" _Yes you did! Great job! You seem to be getting stronger each and every day."_

 _Lucy beamed and quickly pressed her hands together and bowed. While Layla was her mother –her favorite person in the whole wide world- she was also Lucy's mentor and after every successful training day, Lucy was always sure to bow and thank her properly for her lessons._

 _Before Layla could return her bow, someone shouted for them from the house. Lucy's house always looked too big from the field and Lucy felt something shift in the air. She could feel something in the earth too; a lot of people were running towards them. Most of them were outside their mansion walls._

" _Miss Layla!" A guard shouted desperately. He quickly rushed over to them, his armor clanking loudly. Lucy felt herself frown as she glanced up to see her mother glaring at something in the distance. Lucy tugged on her shirt sleeve but Layla didn't seem to notice._

" _Geoffrey I need you to get Lucy and Jude to safety." Lucy stared up at her mother worriedly. Her voice usually so warm and caring, was cold and filled with distaste._

" _But Miss Layla-"_

" _I can feel them Geoffrey. I know those bandits have once again come; their leader promised they would. Get our bending arts guards out here but first, I need you to get Lucy and Jude to safety while I hold them off. Lucy is our top priority."_

" _But Mommy I can help! You said I was getting stronger!" Lucy cried. She didn't like the way her mother sounded; she couldn't exactly understand what her mother was saying but clearly something was wrong. Lucy didn't want to hide with her daddy; she wanted to fight alongside her mentor. Geoffrey had taken her hand but Lucy pulled it free to grip the bottom of her mother's shirt. Layla gently brushed back Lucy's blonde hair and kissed her forehead, her lips lingering longer than usual._

" _I need you to keep Daddy safe. You know he can't speak with the earth like we can." Layla told her daughter softly. Her voice seemed to break and Lucy found herself being lifted into Geoffrey's arms. Lucy liked the guard, he had played with her many times in the past and had even snuck her a few snacks during her study time but right now she desperately kicked and punched him as he began to pull her away from her mother._

" _But Mommy!"_

" _I love you so much Lucy. You never forget that okay? I'll always be with you; both in the earth and sky."_

 _Lucy hadn't understood what she meant at the time. She had continued to shriek and fight against Geoffrey's arms, even going as far to use her free hands to summon pebbles to smack his head. He didn't seem affected by it at all and had rushed her inside. The last thing Lucy saw before the dark tunnel blocked her vision was her mother being surrounded by multiple men; the earth barely protecting her from their vicious attacks._

 _0~0~0~0~0_

Jude and Lucy had mourned the next morning. Fateful guards had been lost, things had been taken and the property had been ruined. Lucy hadn't cared about any of that though. When night had fallen, a guard had crept into the safety room where she was hiding, tucked away with her father, with his head hung low and tears burning in his eyes. Lucy remembers feeling her father stiffen behind her.

"I'm so sorry sir." The guard mumbled, his head never lifting. Lucy had felt like someone punched her in the chest; she couldn't breath and from the looks of it neither could her father. He hadn't cried in the moment but Lucy didn't see him for an entire month. When he finally did emerge from his bedroom, his face had been puffy, red and swollen from thick tears and he had barely glanced at her.

For ten years, Lucy was ignored by him; her own father wanted nothing to do with her. Lucy had stopped caring and turned her focus to something that actually mattered. For ten years, Lucy continued to train in secret. She had snuck out at night, slipping past the guards and returning to the training grounds her mother had taught her in. Lucy had never forgotten what her mentor had taught her and she wasn't going to tarnish her mother's memory by refusing to continue her training. Layla had always wanted greatness for Lucy and Lucy was determined to give it to herself.

Lucy had run away when her father had found out what she had been doing. He had seen the scuffs and dirt on her shirt one morning and demanded she take a walk with him outside. Once surrounded by dirt, Jude had thrown a rock past Lucy's head, just for her to scream and freeze it in the air. Insults had been thrown and there had been so much _screaming_ her throat had been raw for days. Lucy had been trapped in her room when she realized she couldn't live the life her father envisioned for her. He was talking arranged marriages and business meetings for her; he didn't have the connection to the earth like she did. He would never be able to understand her like Layla did.

So once she was sure no one was below her bedroom tower, Lucy had lifted her hand and called the earth to her aid. The earth had rumbled and shook but a tall rock staircase appeared, Lucy grabbed her prepacked bag and hurried down them. Lucy couldn't force herself to run past it. She only paused once, to stare at the large statue of her mother, her mentor and her best friend. Her grave was always beautifully decorated with bright flowers and Lucy delicately picked one. All these years later, Lucy had finally understood what her mother had meant. She was in the ground, Lucy looked up to the starry sky and smiled. Layla was resting peacefully where she was most comfortable but she was watching her daughter from above. Forcing herself to say goodbye, Lucy once again used the earth to scale the large walls and she disappeared in the night without so much as a fleeting glance behind her.

Lucy's been running for a year now.

People were looking for her; trying to hunt her down. Lucy knew that.

But she knew her father wasn't the one to hire them.

A low rumble sounded in the sky and Lucy sighed as she punched the ground. The mark on the back of her right hand seemed to shine for a second. A clear simple of the Earth element was embedded in her skin; something that's been there since her birth. As her fist connected with the ground, another layer of rock appeared around her to keep the heat in and the cold out. Grabbing the flyers and a flashlight from her bag, Lucy read through them quickly. She had grabbed the job flyers off a nearby tavern wall in hopes she could make enough money for both food and a blanket for tomorrow night. Finding nothing with the batch so far, she almost gave up hope until she read the last one. It had caught her eye with the strange design on it. All four main elements –earth, air, water and fire- swirled together in a circle.

 _ **Ultimate Element still not found! The Ultimate Element possesses an incredible ability only one chosen bending arts mage can master. If anyone knows anything about them, please speak to your nearest Bending Arts Guild. The world is falling to the monsters being summoned and we need the Ultimate Element to stop dark forces.**_

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She had never heard anything about an Ultimate Element before and the flyer gave little information about what the person actually did. Saying whoever it was, was the key to stopping all the monster attacks though meant serious business. The world had been slowly succumbing to dark guilds and their monsters as people with bending arts abilities were dying off. Lucy bit her lip as she tried to make sense of all of it.

She froze when she felt something shift in the ground. Someone was right outside her earth tent. She had been too distracted reading, she didn't feel them earlier. Lucy clenched her fists and prepared to strike the ground to form a tunnel but someone had punched both her rock walls and sent them crumbling to the ground. Surprised by the powerful attack, she had frozen and that was her downfall. Two men were staring at her in disbelief before realization passed over their faces.

"Lucy Heartfilia." The taller man whispered in awe. He was the one who most likely punched her walls down; he was incredibly beefy and Lucy held back a shiver. He could probably break her in two with just a finger. Realizing he knew her name; Lucy stood up. This was someone who was sent to find her.

Crap.

She lifted her arms to prepare to defend herself but before she could, she found something holding them at her sides. It was too strong for her to break through. When she glanced down, small puppets were grinning back up at her and Lucy scowled. She lifted her head to see another man staring at her, a finger raised in the air. He was the one controlling the puppets. When their eyes met, he stuck out his long tongue with a gleeful sneer. The larger man was speaking frantically into a radio.

"Yes! I'm telling you the truth! It isn't _manly_ to lie! We've found Lucy Heartfilia; Lady of the Earth and we're about to bring her to the Master. Our year-long hunt is finally over. "

Double crap.

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 **Be sure to tell me what you guys think! I'd love feedback!**

 **Thanks for the support!**

 _-Katie_


	2. Chapter 2

_~*A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it*~_

 _-Jean de La Fontaine_

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Lucy's angry screams echoed throughout the entire room. When she had been ripped from the ground by the larger man –who she later learned was named Elfman- she had been thrown into the back of a truck and put to sleep with a powder sprinkled over her face. When she woke up, she was enclosed in a completely metal room and her hands were tied behind her back. Frustration bubbled in her chest as she thrashed in a poor attempt to free herself. The light shining down on her was almost blinding but Lucy refused to shut her eyes. She knew that they had to be watching her.

"I don't know who you are but you have to know I'll find a way out of here!" Lucy shouted with a sneer. She pushed herself up so she was on her knees and tried one final time to free her hands. The ropes didn't budge.

"I refuse to be _caged like an animal!"_

She heard the _swoosh_ before she saw the door open. ' _A hidden door…how cliché.'_ Lucy mused with a small smirk. She didn't need to feel the Earth to escape; she just had to know at least _some_ was around her. Her container didn't have any windows and it was too cold to tell if anything warm was underneath it. Lucy shivered when she heard the footsteps approaching. She braced herself for the worst. A vision of a scowling man bigger then Elfman and twice as strong appeared in her head. She gulped.

"Hello!"

Well this was strange.

And not at all what she was expecting.

Lucy sat up a little straighter and raised a blonde eyebrow at the sight in front of her. Elfman stood nervously by the door but in front of her was an old man no taller than her waist. She had seen young children taller than him. His colorful hat and suit made her narrow her eyes in confusion. Was this a clown sent in to cheer her up?

"We've been searching for you a long time my dear." The man told her with a soft smile. Lucy huffed and glared. He was the leader? The one who sent out men to hunt her down?

"Seems like you found me." She growled. Lucy felt like something was closing in on her. Was the metal box getting smaller? Her chest felt tight. She wouldn't let it show. "Who are you?"

"My name is Master Makarov. I run the Bending Arts Guild here in Magnolia. You're safe now."

' _I was safe were I was.'_ Lucy thought bitterly. She chose to stay silent. Master Makarov sighed and glanced behind him to usher Elfman away. Lucy's eyes narrowed at the move. He was sending away his body guard? Elfman looked uneasy.

"But Master she's-"

"I know what she is. Miss Heartfilia won't harm me."

Lucy bit her tongue to stop herself from reminding him that he was wrong; _she could harm him_ but something in her gut told her she should reframe from doing so. He had her brought here for a reason. While the two men had a small stare down, Lucy shut her eyes and took a long breath. She focused on what was beneath the metal. If it was resting on the ground, she could feel it and make it move. Lucy didn't need to be in contact with the Earth to make it move, they were connected by the heart, but she did need it to be close. She had to know it was there.

The Master spoke once more, breaking Lucy's concentration.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"Because you had two of your bending arts students hunt me down? Congratulations! You were successful in kidnapping a seventeen year old girl in the middle of the night."

Master Makarov sighed at her tone but it didn't deter him. Lucy continued to struggle against her restraints. If her hands were free, she could press them against the metal to feel past it. She needed to get out of here.

"Have you heard of our bending arts guild Fairy Tail?"

Lucy paused and let her eyes met Master Makarov's hesitantly. Her heart skipped a beat and Lucy recognized the feeling instantly; she hadn't felt it in so long. Excitement flowed through her veins. She couldn't count how many long and cold nights, she had hunkered down with a magazine and read about the famous Fairy Tail and its incredible bending arts students. Her favorite was Mirajane; the flower queen.

"You're one of the strongest bending arts guilds in Flore." Lucy mumbled. Master Makarov seemed pleased she recognized the name and associated it with power. Lucy halfheartedly scowled. "That doesn't mean you have the right to kidnap me."

"Lucy my dear, we haven't kidnapped you. We need you to hear us out because you play an important role in the future of Flore."

Getting anxious once more with the atmosphere his serious tone brought and not being able to control anything happening, Lucy struggled more severely against her restraints.

"What the hell are you talking about? I just want to leave! I can't feel the Earth here!"

"Lucy! Please calm down! I will remove the restraints if you are calm."

Lucy clenched her teeth but stilled long enough for the small man to free her wrists. She rubbed them as he watched her worriedly. Lucy bent forward and tensed her fingers against the cool metal, hoping, _praying_ her friend was underneath it.

"You are Lucy Heartfilia; Lady of the Earth." Master Makarov said beside her. Lucy tried to drown him out and felt further down. It had to be down there somewhere; everything was on top of the Earth. If she went low enough, she could find it; Lucy knew she could.

"You are one of the top four strongest bending arts mages in Flore currently. The other three are here at Fairy Tail as well."

Something clicked in her chest knowing the other three were here. She felt whole for a fleeting moment; her comrades of the elements were here too. Were they being held hostage as well? As if reading her thoughts, Master spoke again.

"All three of them have been here for years, training for the threat looming on us."

Lucy rubbed her dirt covered fingers against the metal. She could feel something faint reaching out for her. The metal was thick but Lucy was sure, the Earth was underneath it. She had read somewhere that if she was around the other three elements, her own power could grow stronger. Maybe knowing fire, air and water were near her boosted her bending enough to feel the Earth calling out below her. She could feel it faintly.

"Dark forces are joining together and summoning creatures full of evil energy. Many lives have already been lost; Flore is being greatly damaged. We've lost a lot of our bending arts students during this crisis."

Lucy grimaced at the thought but didn't let Makarov distract her. She could free herself; she knew she could. Lucy just needed to focus harder. She couldn't bring herself to drown out what the old man was saying though. Something in her compelled her to listen; obviously it was important and he seemed to think it was surrounding her. She shook her head; Lucy wasn't anyone's savior.

"Have you ever heard of the Ultimate Element?" Makarov asked her quietly. Lucy's eyes snapped open and zeroed in on the small man. He didn't meet her eye; he was studying her form and Lucy knew he had realized what she was doing.

"What does that have to do with me?" Lucy snapped. Familiar anxiety bubbled in her chest. Something was off about the way he was looking at her. Her fists angrily punched the hard metal floor. Master Makarov didn't flinch at her anger like most did. As Lucy once again flattened her hand against the floor, she swore she felt the ground shake beneath the spot.

"The Ultimate Element is a unique bending arts mage, chosen at birth. Only a handful of Ultimate Elements have existed; maybe one every few centuries. The universe only gives us one in time of great need. With all this attacks looming over our heads, the other bending arts guilds and I have been searching for seventeen years to find this generation's Ultimate Element."

Lucy tensed and clenched her fist. She couldn't stand to be on her knees any longer. When she stood, she stood tall and sturdy and her feet shifted into a familiar position. Master Makarov didn't seem worried. He didn't think she could feel anything past this metal cage but Lucy swore she could. She didn't know why but she could feel herself becoming more aware; stronger maybe? Was one of the other elements nearby?

"After many years of research we realized the Ultimate Element is the only bending arts mage in existence to be able to bend all four main elements at once; the ability to control fire, air, water and earth…We learned of the Ultimate Element cycle."

Lucy growled and openingly glared at the smaller man. She slammed her fist into the hard wall and ignored the pain that shot up through her wrist. Makarov jumped this time. Lucy swore she felt the room shake. Was she doing that? Lucy growled; she didn't know what she was more pissed about; the fact that she had been taken here and held against her will or the fact that she's had to listen to this old man's delusions.

"You're talking nonsense!" Lucy cried in annoyance. "You've kidnapped me and I demand you release me _right now!_ I won't be locked away in a cage!"

"So you've said." Makarov spoke dryly; his eyes were on her swelling wrist. "I know you're angry but you must have an inkling to what I'm hinting at Lucy."

She did. She'd be an idiot not to but the idea was simply ridiculous. Lucy wasn't the Ultimate Element; she hadn't even heard of such a thing until she read that flyer. She just knew she wasn't; her parents would have told her if she was! Lucy was the Lady of the Earth but that was it. The Earth was the only element she could control.

The idea was something to consider though. Just the thought of being skilled enough to control not one, but all _four_ main elements? It made Lucy shiver. She couldn't be someone that powerful.

The urge to leave was growing stronger by the second. She truly was beginning to feel like a caged animal and with Makarov staring at her the way he was, it was making her feel like she couldn't get enough air into her lungs. Lucy felt close to tears. Why couldn't she feel the Earth? She knew it was there!

 _Please._

"Gramps!"

Lucy's prayers were answered. At the sound of the voice, Makarov paled. The hidden door beside her slid open but she couldn't see who had opened it. Lucy felt it; one of the other elements had come to her aid. The symbol on the back of her right hand glowed and suddenly Lucy was able to breathe again. She grinned when she realized that –oh yeah baby- she was able to do a lot more then breathe; Lucy could finally feel the Earth beneath her. She quickly got into her most powerful position.

" _Patient and sturdy. Feel the Earth beneath your feet and wait for the perfect moment."_

"Natsu! Stay back!"

Lucy felt the air around her grow warmer but she quickly shut her eyes and focused. She took a deep breath and her fingers curled. Makarov rushed to the still opened door and seemed to be shoving someone further away from her. Lucy could hear others running to help him. Now was her moment.

" _Enough!"_

At Lucy's shout, everything seemed to freeze for a moment before it came crashing back. The Earth shook furiously beneath their feet but Lucy was as sturdy as stone. She could hear the panicked screams from the doorway but she knew she wasn't hurting anyone. Lucy had felt earthquakes before. Hers were just stronger.

Lucy stomped her right foot as the symbol on her hand continued to shine in the dark room. She lifted both of her hands and a large cube shaped rock broke through the metal to rescue her. Now grinning widely, Lucy opened her eyes. Two new faces were staring back at her. A tall redhead was helping Makarov to his feet while a shirtless dark haired boy stared at her wide eyed. Lucy saluted all three of them before pushing the Earth back down through the hole it created. Now with the perfect escape, Lucy hurried to jump in the dark hole. She didn't need light to see when she was underground and surrounded by her element.

Lucy created her own tunnel as she ran underground. She knew she had to be careful not to move too much of the Earth or it could come crumbling down on top of her. After running for a few minutes without hearing footsteps above her, she deemed it far enough. Lifting her hands and stomping one of her feet, a rock platform beneath Lucy's feet shoved her to the surface.

Lucy glanced around and let out a sigh in relief when she didn't see anyone else in sight. She did however notice that she was still on Fairy Tail turf. It looked like a training ground. Lucy took a moment to glance around. She had read that Fairy Tail had a stadium that they sometimes sold tickets to be in; they would hold tournaments and shows for the people who wanted to see bending arts mages. Multiple flags were hanging down off the stands, surrounding the training ground's perimeter. She recognized them as bending arts symbols. She spun in a complete circle to take it all in but stopped when she saw the Earth symbol on a green sign. It was right next to the water. Fire and air were to the left of it but in-between the four signs hung the Ultimate Element symbol. Its flag was bigger and brighter than any other and Lucy couldn't tear her eyes away. She didn't know how long she stood there frozen and mesmerized by the meaningful flag but she was jolted from the trance when she felt multiple feet slamming against the ground towards her. She had forgotten she was being chased!

 _God I'm an idiot._

Quickly lifting her hands, rock shoes appeared on her feet and Lucy huffed as she used them to glide against the Earth at an astounding speed; rock gliding is always faster than running. Lucy began to panic when she felt just how many people were chasing her. They must have gotten the whole bending arts guild to take part in the chase.

Just as she began to see the path that would lead to her freedom, a strong gust of wind pushed her to the left. She had to release her rock shoes so she wouldn't slam into the wall. Stumbling, Lucy began to ran, very aware of the loud _"Stop her!"_ being shouted behind her. A girlish shriek escaped her lips when a large circle of fire surrounded her. Lucy came to a rushed stop and gasped. The elements were preventing her from leaving! _Betrayal!_ Lucy mentally screamed.

Whoever had created the flames obviously didn't want to harm her. The heat wasn't strong and the flames were just high enough to prevent her from walking across from them. Lucy huffed and flicked her unswollen wrist a few times. A bulky pad of Earth began to lift and flatten the flames for her. Once she had cut a hole in the circle of fire, Lucy continued to run.

She was just summoning rock shoes again when a metal cage floated and connected around her. A patch of ice formed under her feet, making her slip and land on her hip with a hiss. Now that the ground beneath her was covered with a magic not her own, she couldn't control it as easily without the ice being controlled in her favor. The bottom of the cage slid under her and disconnected her from the ground completely. Lucy almost screamed in frustration. Why were they trying so hard to keep her here!?

Now close to tears, Lucy decided she was done for. They obviously outnumbered her and her wrist and hip were aching and swollen. She wasn't in any condition to fight all these bending arts mages. Not Fairy Tail ones anyway. Just as she thought it couldn't get any worse, a swirling current of water spun around the cage. Another ring of fire joined it followed by a visible circle of air. The ice beneath her caged feet grew colder and more slippery just as a sword was pointed at her.

"What the hell?" Lucy cried. This was overkill! It looked everyone in Fairy Tail would get a chance to participate in her death. With so much bending energy swirling around her, Lucy almost felt faint. She glanced down at her right hand and blinked in surprise. Her Earth symbol had never shined so brightly.

"Lucy Heartfilia!" Makarov shouted from above. When Lucy glanced up from her new prison she frowned. Makarov was standing at the top of the training grounds stadium. With a practiced ease, he jumped and seemingly floated to stand in front of her.

"Please don't run from us." He pleaded desperately. "You truly are our one true chance to stop the attacks from happening. We need your help."

"I can only speak to the Earth!"

"Maybe right now. But with proper training from the other elements mages you can learn how to control the other three. You need to stay here to do so."

"How do you even know I'm the Ultimate Element? Fire, air or water could be it!"

Makarov shook his head and lifted a dismissal hand. The water, air and fire surrounding her vanished and fell to the ground. The sword pointed at her flew back to its owner's hand and the ice beneath her feet melted away. The metal cage remained.

"The Ultimate Element cycle is how we know for certain you are this generation's Ultimate Element. Every generation has a base element they learn first; it's always their most powerful but it works in a cycle. The very first Ultimate Element had fire as their base element. The second had air, the third had water and the fourth had earth. The cycle has repeated itself three more times over the past hundred years and now it continues…with you."

Lucy's head was spinning. How could she be the Ultimate Element? It seemed like something too important for someone like her. Lucy wasn't a savior. She hadn't been able to save her mentor back when she just thought she was an Earth bending arts mage but now knowing she was supposedly the next Ultimate Element? She had failed her mentor even more.

"C'mon Blondie! Elfman and Bickslow found you out in the streets. You're covered in dirt and mud and you look like you haven't eaten in months!"

"Gray-sama!"

"Well its true!"

Lucy glanced around until she found the owner of the voices. A group of bending arts mages stood huddled together behind Makarov. Lucy only paid attention to the ones who were talking. The dark haired boy from earlier was staring her down and she refused to look away. She did however blush faintly when she realized he had stripped down to his underwear. The frantic woman next to him noticed too and hurriedly thrusted his clothes into his arms. He held the clothes in his hands but his bright blue eyes were firmly connected to hers.

"Even if you don't believe Master Makarov about you being the Ultimate Element, you could still stay here until you get your strength back. You're obviously a powerful bending arts mage so you would be welcomed."

Makarov nodded eagerly and turned to her with a kind smile.

"You can shower and eat tonight before getting a good night's rest in one of Fairy Tail's dorm rooms."

Just the thought of food had her stomach rumbling. And the thought of actually sleeping in a bed made her shiver in pleasure. She had been running for so long….she was so tired. Realizing they had her literally backed into a corner anyway, Lucy nodded. Makarov breathed a sigh of relief and Lucy stuck a finger through her cage at him.

"If I stay, the caging stops. I hate being caged like an animal or some kind of freak show."

"You won't run?"

"Where could I go?"

Taking a moment to think over her answer, Makarov nodded and the cage surrounding her began to disassemble. Lucy's shoulders slumped and suddenly she didn't even have the strength to stand. Lucy dropped to her knees and moaned. The adrenaline she had helping her fuel her escape was gone and now she just ached everywhere. Her hip throbbed and her- no doubt, _holy crap that hurts! -_ sprained wrist pulsed. Just as Lucy began to fall forward, warm hands caught her. She began to feel herself drifting into unconsciousness just as someone else was lifting her into his arms.

She barely caught the sight of a flame symbol on his right hand.

But she definitely heard his smooth voice in her ear; warm, soft and caring.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail."

* * *

 **So Lucy technically met our Fairy Tail crew! She'll be officially introduced soon.**

 **Now I got quite a few follows and favorites right off the back which is awesome and 6 reviews. Same as Bullet Wound. Normally I ask for 10 reviews for chapter updates but I was excited. I need ten for another update though same as Bullet Wound so be sure to review for both stories if you read them!**

 **Thanks to** _DarkFaerie0, , , Crimsonlink310, NeverBetAgainstGirls and AnonymousStalkerFriend_ **for reviewing! I recognize some names! Thanks for all the support!**

 **Be sure to check out my other Fairy Tail story if you haven't already!**

 **Until next time :3**

 **-Katie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Man I can't tell you guys how excited I am. I didn't think I would get ten reviews so soon since I'm new to the fandom but you guys delivered! I went on vacation with my family since I start my senior year in two weeks but when I got back and saw just how many follows, reviews and favorites I got for both this story and Bullet Wound. You guys are seriously awesome.**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!  
Disclaimer: Don't own anything you recognize! **

* * *

_~*Every new friend is a new adventure….the start of more memories*~_

 _-Patrick Lindsay_

* * *

She slept for two days. Lucy faintly remembers being woken up and having two girls gently wash the mud and dried dirt from her hair and body before she had drifted back to sleep while they worked. When she finally opened her eyes again, Lucy immediately noticed the sandwich and water bottle next to her bed. She sat up quickly so she could take a large bite. Lucy blushed at how unladylike she was being but no one was in the room to notice so she continued to stuff her face. She glanced around the room as she drank her water.

It was a fairly large room, almost as big at her own back in the Heartfilia mansion. Lucy noticed the room was pretty bare. It had a door connecting to her own bathroom, a bed, lamp and desk but no decorations what-so-ever. The walls were a blinding white and the floor was a dark grey. She was confused but shook it off and stood up. She glanced down at the bandages wrapped around her swollen wrist. Lucy felt her hip; there was a large Band-Aid covering the tender area. They really did patch her up.

Shaking off her nerves and stretching her sore muscles, Lucy headed towards the door. There was no point in wasting anymore time. She didn't know just how long they expected her to stay here but Lucy wanted to make it clear to Makarov that it wouldn't be long. She wasn't the Ultimate Element.

Lucy knew it was impossible.

0~0~0~0~0

When she opened the door, there was a large man with long dark hair waiting for her. She made a face when she noticed he had piercings covering a good portion of his face. He didn't even have eyebrows!

"Where are your eyebrows?" Lucy asked curiously, her index finger coming up to touch her bottom lip. The man sneered.

"After everything that happened two days ago, _that's_ your first question?"

Lucy shrugged and fell into step with him when he gestured for her to follow him. The hallway was more decorated then the room she was in. Flowers were in vases, lined up along the doors and pictures of happy memories adorned the walls. Lucy didn't look at any of them.

"Seemed like a good place to start I suppose."

The man glanced over at her before shaking his head and snickering. Lucy didn't understand what was funny but she waited for him to finish. She would rather have him laughing then angry with her; he didn't seem like a bad guy, maybe just scary on the outside.

"The name's Gajeel." He told her gruffly, a smirk settling on his lips. Lucy nodded. They were getting closer to the main doors.

"Lucy."

"Everyone around here knows that already. Master Makarov told us all you're the key to ending the attacks all throughout Flore." He paused to snicker again. "You're quite famous around here you know. Especially after the little stunt you pulled the other day."

 _Oh you mean when I was running for my life because you guys kidnapped me and encaged me?_ Lucy bit her tongue to fight off her irritation. Gajeel opened the door for her and walked in behind her. Lucy froze for a moment as she took in the sight around her.

Everyone was fighting!

A nameless man flew past her and crashed into the door she just walked through. Lucy yelped and dove to hide behind the pillar closest to her. Gajeel laughed and abandoned her to dive right into the fight. Lucy watched horrified. What was with these people!?

"Hello!" A kind voice came from her left. Lucy turned and almost fainted. "You're Lucy right?"

"M-Mirajane!"

Mirajane was watching her with a kind smile and Lucy squealed and rushed over to her. She was just as beautiful in person! Her pictures didn't do her justice! A delicate flower was tucked behind her ear. A glass crashing on the bar stood across from her broke Lucy from her daze.

"Yes! That's me! I'm Lucy, Lady of Earth."

"It's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Mirajane but feel free to call me Mira. Wendy and I helped clean you up after you fainted."

Lucy glanced down at her dirt free skin and lifted her bandaged hand.

"Thanks for the patch job."

"No problem. Your hip had a nasty cut on it from the fall but it should be fine in a few days. Same with your wrist."

Lucy nodded and glanced around her. She almost found the sight funny. Everyone seemed to be playfully attacking everyone else. Elements of all types were flying through the air; along with silverware and plates. She saw Gajeel punch the half-naked dark haired boy before she turned back to Mirajane with a sheepish look. None of her magazines told her about Fairy Tail being this violent.

"Um is it always like this around here?"

"Oh almost all the time! Everyone needs to let out steam somehow right?"

"I guess?" Lucy questioned. Everyone was starting to get a bit more worked up and Lucy resisted the urge to drill herself into a hole for protection. Mirajane noticed her uncomfortable expression and smiled.

"It's okay. No one really gets hurt behind the bar here."

Lucy nodded but unease fluttered in her stomach. She bit her lip and let her eyes scan over everyone. Where were the other three elements? She could see water and fire flying around the room but couldn't place where they were coming from. Lucy listened to what everyone was screaming.

"You think that's funny Ice Freak?!"

"Hell yeah I do Flame Head!"

"Love-rival! Stay away from Juvia's Gray-sama!"

"Hey Shrimp! Watch where you're walking!"

Lucy gripped her ears and shook her head.

" _What is even happening right now!?"_ She cried in distress. She had never seen more rowdy people in her life! Mirajane chuckled next to her but the smile slipped from her face when she noticed something in the distance.

"Oh no you don't Laxus! Come here right now!"

Then she was gone.

Lucy yelped and dove beneath the bar to dodge a flying body. She needed to get out of here. Lucy's head lifted as an idea popped into her head. Of course! Why not use the chaos to her advantage? She could sneak past everyone while they were busy punching each other!

 _Heh, I'm a genius._

Lucy stood up, determination shining in her brown eyes. Ducking low to avoid a rapid water attack to the face, Lucy dove under a table and scanned the room to find the best place to make her escape. Everyone was crowded together and getting through them would be hard without jumping into the fight herself. Biting her lip Lucy decided she just needed to make another run for it. She crawled out from under the table and braced herself. Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing for a fight, she rushed forward and immediately crashed into a warm chest. Lucy squeaked and quickly placed a flattened hand on the chest to push it away from her; someone caught her wrist. Her eyes zeroed in on the fire symbol on his hand.

"Yo! You're Lucy right?"

Lucy's eyes scanned over his arm and eventually met his. _So green._ She swallowed nervously and nodded. Could she even talk right now? Lucy didn't know.

"Name's Natsu!" He introduced cheerfully. His pink hair seemed to bounce with his nod. Natsu's eyes narrowed lightly when he seemed to notice something. "Where are you going? Didn't you promise to stay?"

She opened her mouth to try and make an excuse but the words got caught in her throat when a flying disk soared through the air and hit her in the temple. Once it made contact she knew it was made of ice from the harsh sting.

" _Ow!_ C'mon! Really?" She cried. Lucy rubbed the spot to try and ease the pain but the damage was done.

"Hey popsicle head! You hit Lucy, you moron!" Natsu shouted angrily. Lucy ripped herself from his grasp when bright flames suddenly appeared over his hands. Lucy nervously backed away from him as quickly as she could but her back collided with someone else's.

"Move it! Juvia must protect Gray-sama from Natsu-san's wrath!" Lucy felt her anxiety skyrocket as the blue haired girl shoved past her, water flying from her fingertips. A whimper left her lips; she couldn't wrap her head around what was happening. Lucy tried to move and figure out how to get the farthest away from these people but it seems like no matter what direction she moved, someone was there ready to attack her.

Her breath began to come out in little puffs as her chest began to ache. She couldn't breathe! They were crowding her; there was no way out. She felt boxed in again. Lucy's fists clenched dangerously and before she could stop herself, the ground began to shake viciously. Everyone seemed to freeze.

" _Stop!"_ She cried out tearfully. Why couldn't she breathe? Was there enough air in this cage? Lucy wanted to be underground. The Earth would take care of her; she had completely control over everything when she was underground. A few people tried to stumble their way towards her, hands raised out in warning but Lucy made the ground shake harder. Everyone seemed to be knocked off their feet.

"Lucy! Lucy it's okay!" A voice called out to her. It echoed in her ears.

 _Shhh….Lucy you're okay. It's okay. Stop crying, you just need to stay in there a little longer._

Lucy shook her head. She didn't want to be there anymore! The box was too small and she couldn't _breathe._ Warm hands were gripping her forearms with a familiar urgency. When Lucy opened her eyes she was staring into pure green ones. Natsu smiled at her, big canine-like teeth shining, and quickly began to breathe slowly for her to watch. He was gripping her arms tightly for balance. She was the rock keeping him sturdy during her own earthquake. Lucy found herself distracted as he tried to show her how to breathe. No one had ever been around during her panic attacks; she would usually bury herself into the Earth until she felt better.

"Hey it's okay!" Natsu mumbled to her. His voice seemed to stand out even with other shouts ringing in her ears. Lucy tried to focus on that; she tried to calm her racing heart by focusing on _him._ Lucy's breathing slowly steadied and the shaking dimmed until the tavern was once again still. Natsu smiled at her brightly. "See there you go! You sure have a way to make everyone stop fighting!"

Lucy was sure the blush on her cheeks covered her entire body. She glanced around and flushed deeper when she realized everyone was staring at her. Some in awe, some in suspicion. Lucy ducked her head into her hoodie so the fabric came up to her nose. She would have drilled into the ground if it wasn't for Natsu's warm hands on her arms. Lucy gently pried them off of her. Natsu smiled sheepishly and reached up to scratch the back of his head.

"Sorry. You okay now?"

Lucy nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. Mira suddenly poked through the crowd and gathered her in a hug, shoving Natsu aside in the process. Lucy was so stunned her arms stayed limp at her side while Mira hugged her tightly. She tried to remember the last time someone hugged her. Her chest felt….warm.

"Oh Lucy, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have left you alone. I know it may not seem like it but everyone here is really very nice and won't give you any trouble! No one hurt you did they?"

Lucy and Natsu answered at the same time.

"No."

"Gray hit her."

Lucy glared at Natsu but his eyes were on Mira. The beautiful flower behind her ear instantly transformed into a Venus fly trap. It snapped at the air as Mira seemed to glow darkly. Vines swept past Lucy's feet and went straight for the ice mage. Lucy hurriedly placed herself in front of Mira and held her hands up passively.

"He didn't mean to!" She shouted desperately. "It was an accident. I think he was aiming for Natsu."

Mira's eyes darted between the two of them before she sighed. Gray's yelp was heard from the back of the room followed by a cry of protest from Juvia but the vines seemed to vanish along with the Venus flytrap on her ear. A bright yellow daisy formed instead, Lucy sighed in relief. When she took another glance around and saw everyone staring at her, she smiled guiltily and waved a hand sheepishly.

"Uh...Sorry?"

Mira giggled and shook her head. Natsu grinned at her.

"No need to apologize!" He told her sincerely. "Things can get crazy around here but we didn't want to scare you on your first day!"

Lucy nodded and everyone seemed to go back to their own business. Knowing their eyes were off of her, Lucy felt a little more at ease. When a blue cat landed on top of Natsu's head however she began to panic once more.

"Um!" Lucy lost her words and instead just pointed to the flying cat. Natsu gave her a strange look before glancing up and smiling brightly at his friend.

"Hey Happy! Did you find the fish you were looking for?"

"Aye sir!" Happy pulled a fish out from behind his back and stuck it happily in his mouth. As he chewed, Natsu glanced back at Lucy. She was sure she looked like a fish gasping for air. Natsu laughed.

"What is it?"

"That cat just talked! And flew!" Lucy began to frantically point at the freakish cat not understanding why Natsu wasn't freaking out with her. "Cats don't do that!"

"Aw." Happy mumbled. "The Ultimate Element is mean."

" _Shut it cat!"_

Natsu shook his head, Happy floating off of him.

"You just created your own earthquake and you're wondering how a cat can talk? Man Lucy, you're really weird!"

"I am _not!"_ Lucy shrieked. "I've just never seen a talking cat before!"

Happy did a little spin in the air and took another bite of his fish.

"Well tada! Here I am!"

Lucy couldn't help but smile. A chuckle even escaped her lips as she watched the blue cat fly in circles over her and Natsu's heads. When she felt Natsu's eyes on her, she looked over to meet his gaze. He just grinned again and gestured behind him.

"You need to meet the others!"

Lucy's heart leaped in her chest. She was going to meet water and air? What would happen if the four of them were together?

"You mean the water and air bending arts mages?"

Natsu scratched the back of his head and shrugged.

"I mean yeah you can totally meet them but I meant _everyone."_

0~0~0~0~0

When he first heard about her, he hadn't really been paying attention. Gray was flinging off his shirt as Gramps began to talk so naturally Natsu took it upon himself to correct the problem. He snickered to Happy as he flicked a little flame ball towards Gray, grinning in triumph when it hit his hip. Gray let out a loud yelp, halting the meeting.

"Is something the matter Gray?" Erza asked with a menacing gleam in her eye. Everyone flinched in the room; Erza took the Master's meetings _very_ seriously. Natsu almost felt bad. Almost.

When Gramps started explaining once more, Natsu barely heard him. Happy was doing a funny dance under the table and his attention was instantly captured. He was polite enough to hold in his giggles.

"-very dangerous. We don't know how she will react. She's been on her own for a year now."

Happy did a little booty dance while he started to pull out a fish from his bag.

"Will she attack?" A bug scurried under his foot and Natsu flipped sideways in the desk so he could get a better look. "-unlocked the other elements yet?"

"No as far as we know she's only been able to control earth. She may not even know her own destiny yet."

Natsu's head shot up. He hissed when it smacked the side of the desk but he eagerly looked up to Gramps. Everyone was already staring at him; his head colliding with the desk was really loud.

"You mean you found the earth bending arts mage?!" He shouted excitedly. Gray face palmed and Erza shook her head while Master Makarov just sighed.

"Yes Natsu. That's what we've been discussing for twenty minutes now. Elfman and Bickslow are bringing her here as we speak."

Natsu shot up from his desk and he grinned as he stood triumphantly on top of it. Happy flew to his side as they both struck a pose. For the past year Gramps had forbid Juvia, Wendy and himself from leaving the safety of Fairy Tail until they found the final forth element. She was the key to stopping the attacks and with the four of them together, they were almost unstoppable. Gramps said it would be safe for them to travel and fight enemies of Flore as long as they were together; or at least with the Ultimate Element. They couldn't risk losing any of them.

"When will she be here!?"

There was a thump heard from the other room and everyone seemed to freeze. Elfman appeared in the doorway and everyone quickly stood. Gramps had jumped from the table top and rushed out of the room.

"Seems like she's already here."

The ground had begun to shake shortly after that.

0~0~0~0~0

Natsu shook his head when he remembered how everyone had tackled him when he tried to break into the room. He had heard the whole conversation and he wanted, no he had _needed_ to meet the earth bending arts mage. She had sounded so angry and terrified he was worried she was going to attack Gramps. When the ground had shook and she had escaped, Erza had panicked and demanded everyone in Fairy Tail spread out and search.

The first time Natsu _saw_ Lucy she was running for her life from people who just wanted to save her. Her long blonde hair was flying behind her as she glided across the ground. Natsu had been impressed with her skills but Gramps had told him to surround her in a ring of fire and he wouldn't disobey; he didn't want her to leave either.

Natsu had tried to see her when she was sleeping but Erza and Mira had been adamant about him staying away until Lucy was awake. Wendy had assured him Lucy was fine after she had helped washed her but Natsu wanted to see for himself. He knew the ice bastard had hurt her hip when she slipped on his ice. He knew from personal experience that ice falls were painful and he just wanted to be _double sure_ she was okay.

When Lucy had finally woke up and followed Gajeel into the main tavern of Fairy Tail, Natsu instantly noticed her, despite the fact that he was in the middle of punching Gray with a fire fist. When she started moving through the fighting crowd and towards the door, Natsu had moved quickly to try and cut her off; it worked and he ended up officially introducing himself. He had gripped her tightly and helped her breathe again when she started another earthquake. Natsu could admit he was fascinated. He's seen a girl use her power to throw water around the room, wield a sword as if it was an extension of her arm and wrap enemies in death grip vines but a girl being able to shake a room that violently and knock everyone off their feet…..Well that had to be the coolest thing Natsu's ever seen.

Natsu grinned to himself as he tugged Lucy towards his usual table. Her small wrist was tightly gripped in his warm hand and Natsu could have sworn their symbols on their hands glowed brighter at the contact. When he reached his destination, Natsu let her go. He didn't want to scare her; she already looked pale at the thought of meeting the members of Fairy Tail.

"Guys! This is Lucy!" Natsu told them happily. Everyone seated at the table looked at him as if he was stupid. Gray snorted and gently pried Juvia's fingers off his arm.

"We know who she is Flame Brain. She's shaken this place twice now."

"Plus she's the Ultimate Element." Gajeel chimed in.

"And she made quite a mess trying to escape. Not something easily forgotten." Erza added. Natsu growled and shook his head. He noticed Lucy's flustered face and how she had taken a few steps away from him. He quickly tugged her back towards him.

"No that was Lucy Heartfilia, Lady of the Earth. This is Lucy! _Just_ Lucy."

Lucy's eyes snapped over to meet his own and Natsu offered her a large grin. Her brown eyes softened slightly and Natsu took great pleasure in the fact that she seemed a little more responsive to the idea of meeting her new comrades. Natsu quickly began to point to people.

"That's Gray." Natsu announced as Gray lifted a hand. "He's a total loser and he's hurt you twice with his ice now so totally feel free to trap him underground."

" _Hey!"_

Lucy laughed nervously and shook her head.

"Um that's okay. I don't like to bring anyone else underground with me."

Everyone seemed to think over her answer but before anyone could comment Natsu began to point to Gajeel only to have Lucy cut him off.

"That's Gajeel…We met earlier today. He never answered my question."

Natsu nodded but ultimately looked confused. Gajeel snickered at Lucy's expression but they quickly moved on. Before Natsu could utter a word, Erza stood up from the table and thrusted her hand towards Lucy.

"Erza Scarlet. I specialize in martial arts and swords. If you have any questions about where things are or how to get in touch with Master Makarov, you come to me and I'll help you to the best of my ability."

Lucy took a hesitant glance at Natsu and at his encouraging (if not terrified) expression, she took the red head's hand.

"Um alright… Thank you Erza. I'll keep that in mind."

"Your abilities are very impressive Lucy. I was surprised. We're lucky you're our Ultimate Element; your strength will only grow."

Lucy nodded once more but removed her hand from Erza's grasp. Natsu frowned when he noticed she still seemed uncomfortable. He just wanted her to love Fairy Tail and everyone in it like he does. She shouldn't be uncomfortable; everyone here has her best interest at heart. Natsu shook his head and pointed to the small girl sitting next to Gajeel reading.

"That's Levy. She's probably the smartest person in Fairy Tail. She literally brings words to life."

Levy looked up from her book to remove her glasses and smile brightly. Nobody could be uncomfortable around Levy; she was one of the most comforting people Natsu knew! Lucy's eyes seemed to brighten.

"Hello Lucy!" Levy called out sweetly. Lucy shyly pointed to the book she held in her hands.

"I just finished the third book in that series. Is that the fourth?"

Levy's eyes flashed and instantly the small girl was on her feet and excitedly talking to the blonde. Natsu grinned and sat down to watch the two girls interact. Now having something basic in common with someone less threatening, Lucy seemed completely at ease. Natsu was waiting for the two bookworms to finish their conversation to introduce the last two girls at the table. They were the most important right now. Just as he stood to interrupt, Master Makarov beat him to it.

"Lucy."

Just the serious tone in Gramp's voice had Lucy freezing and turning to him defensively. Levy placed a comforting hand on her arm and that seemed to help.

"I figure now is the best time for you to meet your elemental friends. They are going to be your partners and ultimately your strength during our upcoming battles."

Lucy nodded and Juvia and Wendy both stood to stand by Natsu's side. Gramps had Wendy step up first and the smaller girl smiled sweetly as her furry friend Carla floated at her side.

"This is Wendy, Lady of the Sky. She can control the air element."

Juvia stared blankly at Lucy until Gramps gestured to her. A small smile formed on the pale girl's lips and she wordlessly brushed her long blue hair behind her.

"This is Juvia Lockser, Fairy Tail's Rain Woman. She controls the water element."

As if to demonstrate Juvia had a small trail of water float around her fingertips. Lucy followed the flow with her eyes until they glanced up to meet Juvia's. Natsu and Gray shared a nervous look.

"Juvia hopes you understand how powerful she is. Ultimate Element or not, Juvia will not allow you to take Gray-sama from her!"

Lucy flushed a dark red.

"Eh?" She questioned with a squeak. Gray pulled reached out to take Juvia's hand and the water instantly fell to the ground as Juvia's attention was stolen. Gray pulled the girl to his side and gave her a look.

" _Juvia_ remember what we talked about."

"Juvia's sorry Gray-sama."

Master Makarov sighed and gestured for Natsu to come forward. When Lucy's eyes locked on his, Natsu smirked and puffed out his chest as he waited for his introduction.

"Natsu Dragneel, our very own Fire Dragon and ultimate headache."

Lucy snickered behind her hand as Natsu deflated. Gray and Gajeel hunched over in laughter and in embarrassment, Natsu hissed and released a roar, fire flaming from his mouth.

"I'm not a headache! _Fight me_ Gramps!"

Before Natsu could even take a step forward, a large fist was crushing him to the ground. Struggling to breathe, Natsu looked up the Lucy for help but her attention was back on Gramps.

"Over the next couple of weeks, these three will be your aids, comrades and mentors. They all agreed to help train you in the other elements."

Lucy wrung her fingers together nervously.

"You still don't know for sure if I'm the Ultimate Element."

Natsu slowly peeled himself off the floor to listen better. Everyone was giving all their attention to the conversation. Natsu was going to move closer to Lucy for comfort but his side cried out in protest. God he was sure Gramps broke a few ribs with that last punch.

"Guess we'll find out once you start bending the other elements."

Master Makarov turned his back to the group and stuck a hand in the air as he walked back towards his office.

"Training starts tomorrow. Good luck."

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 **Alrighty so the story is picking up now!  
**

 **I made Happy able to talk in this one. I figured if Lucy can move the ground then Happy can talk haha. Mira has the power to control flowers because I kind of want everyone to have a different power so I gave Mira a new one and let Elfman be the shape shifter. Plus the idea of Mira being able to control vines and flowers is interesting to me.**

 **Thanks to** _katiekat2001, Rachel Maddison, Cotton0Candy, , AnonymousStalkerFriend, Crimsonlink310, , MasterSakura117, fairytailgurl808 and Guest_ **for reviewing!**

 **(Plus** Deni Marie _31, Fairy Rains and katie bessler_ **for some reason it wouldn't let me write your names if I used your periods.)**

 **If you liked the chapter be sure to leave a review and check out my other story!**

 **Thanks you guys**

 **-Katie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. Alrighty so I took a smallish break on my stories. I was filled with too many Gruvia emotions from the newest chapters that it was hard to focus on anything else. I was on Tumblr pretty much 80% of the time.**

 **I didnt get ten reviews which is disappointing but I do appreciate the reviews I did get along with all the new follows and favorites. That part is awesome. I got 4 reviews for this story and 8 for Bullet Wound. Not terrible for a first time writer. I'm hoping as this story continues, I'll get a little more popular.**

 **I'll explain my reasoning for some of the stuff in this chapter at the bottom.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **-Disclaimer; don't own anything you recognize**

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 _~*Moving on doesn't mean you forget about things. It just means you have to accept what happened and continue living.*~_

 _-Erza Scarlet; Fairy Tail_

Lucy grunted as she fell to her knees. She panted and struggled to catch her breath as Wendy floated above her. They had been at this all morning and nothing seemed to be working. The physical toll bending took on a mage's body had its limits and trying to bend an element that wasn't your own was exhausting. With a small sigh, Wendy floated down to crouch in front of Lucy's bent over form. Smiling sweetly with eyes free of any judgement, Wendy offered her small hand for Lucy's to take. Deciding she couldn't bring herself to reject someone so kind, Lucy reached up and took Wendy's hand.

"Master Makarov wanted you to try water or fire first for this reason." Wendy reminded her. "Earth and air are completely different elements so it's going for you to be tough to learn it."

" _Or_ it's tough because I'm incapable of learning another element."

Wendy's cheeks puffed out in irritation at Lucy's tone but she quickly let it pass. Lucy stared at her for a minute before sighing and shrugging.

"I'm sorry for my tone Wendy." Lucy apologized. Wendy was being incredibly sweet all morning despite Lucy's lack of progress. "You just have to understand my position here. A few days ago, I was just a girl living on the streets and my entire life I've only been able to control the Earth so learning I might be able to control the other three as well is…Well its overwhelming!"

Lucy began to pace as her anxiety made her chest feel tight. Hoping to relieve some of the tension, Lucy's hands began to swing at her sides. Air flew through her open fingertips and seemed to swirl at her sides. The Earth symbol on her right hand began to glow softly for a few seconds before shining brightly against her pale skin. Lucy didn't notice either but Wendy and Carla watched the exchanged with curious eyes. Juvia and Natsu were in the bleachers of the stadium but Lucy had no idea if they could hear what she was saying.

"Master Makarov said there have been attacks all over Flore and somehow _I'm_ supposed to help stop them. _Me!_ I'm _not_ a savior Wendy. I can't be! I've never been strong enough to save anyone else….I _know_ I'm not. I can't be the Ultimate Element because I don't trust myself to be able to protect you or anyone else. If I put myself in that position and ended up failing….I'd never forgive myself."

Lucy sighed and placed a hand over her heart; the steady beat under her fingertips was calming. She's done this for years. As long as her heartbeat was strong and sturdy like the Earth, Lucy knew she was going to be fine. Her heart hurt at the painful memories of her past and Lucy wondered when it would stop hurting.

"I still haven't forgiven myself for the last time."

Everyone was silent. The world seemed to freeze for one single moment as if to take in Lucy's words. Nothing would ever be the same for her after losing Layla and Lucy couldn't pretend she could put on a cape and mask and play the hero. Sure, she had been young at the time but she could have done _something._ Instead she had been stuffed in that room –that _cage-_ with her father for hours. The Earth had rumbled and shook until finally calming but Lucy had felt the shift; it was almost like she had felt her mother fall. While she was locked away, her mother had fought for their lives and lost. Lucy will always wonder what would have happened if she could have been there to help. Things could have been so different.

"Um? Lucy-san?" Wendy called out timidly. Lucy smiled lightly as she turned back around to face the small girl.

"Wendy you can call me Lucy. I don't have a problem with it."

"Oh thank you!" Wendy said with a sweet smile but she pointed to Lucy's fingers. "But that's not what I meant. Um…Your fingers?"

Lucy glanced down at her fingers and gasped. Small, barely visible swirls of air were circling around her fingertips. As soon as Lucy lifted her fingers to her face, the swirls had vanished but they had definitely been there. Lucy jumped up excitedly and practically floated back to Wendy's side.

"Did you see that? Did _I_ do that?" Lucy questioned. Wendy laughed and nodded her head happily. Carla folded her arms as she floated above the girls' heads but you could tell she was smiling.

"That was all you! Good job Lucy!" Wendy congratulated. Lucy resisted the urge to hug the girl and instead settled for a loud high five. Carla nodded above them.

"It won't be easy but at least now you know you're the Ultimate Element. You've successfully bended your second element."

Lucy froze as everything sunk in. Wendy was smiling and laughing with Carla, not noticing the blonde's inner panic. Lucy could faintly feel Natsu and Juvia's feet on the Earth coming up behind them. Lucy could feel herself falling into another panic attack; she didn't hear Natsu congratulate her or Juvia's comment to Wendy. Instead she heard her heart pounding in her ears and the sound of her labored breathing. It was as loud as a waterfall right next to her eardrum. Everything else floated away as the sound of her frantic heartbeat grew louder.

 _I'm the Ultimate Element?_

 _I have to protect the people of Flore?_

… _And the mages of Fairy Tail?_

Without another second thought, Lucy stomped the ground with her right foot, the symbol on her hand glowed and she was thrusted down into the Earth, leaving the other three elements staring at the ground she disappeared into with worried expressions.

0~0~0~0~0

Lucy pulled her knees tightly up to her chest and tried to take another breath. She hadn't caused another earthquake this time. She was too embarrassed about the first two times that she had been careful to control how often she made the ground shake. Being surrounded by her element, knowing no one could touch her down here and being in complete control of the area around her made Lucy feel calm within seconds. Nothing could hurt her down here; she wasn't the Ultimate Element down here…She was just Lucy.

" _That was Lucy Heartfilia; Lady of the Earth! This is Lucy!_ _ **Just**_ _Lucy."_

Lucy had felt the others rush to go get Master Makarov about half an hour ago. The Master had stood on the ground above her and assured her that she was fine to stay down there as long as she pleased but they would need to have a conversation when she emerged. Lucy swore she could already hear the "I told you so" in his tone. Everyone seemed to walk off with the Master after that leaving her alone. Lucy had just been sitting in her small rock tomb the entire time; she couldn't bring herself to go back to the surface. Once every few minutes, she would create a small hole for fresh hair but otherwise, she was a mole.

Lucy tensed when she felt footsteps above her. She heard them as they got closer but Lucy always felt footsteps before hearing them. Whoever it was, they were right above her now. She felt the dirt shift as they sat down. Lucy looked up at the dirt above her head as the voice spoke.

"I brought you some food. I know you didn't really eat a big breakfast this morning-"

 _Natsu._

"-but fair warning I'm pretty hungry myself and I don't think I can just sit here and look at one of Mirajane's sandwiches and _not_ eat it. So if you want it, you need to come back up."

Lucy's stomach growled but Lucy refused to take the bait. She didn't want to resurface. She heard Natsu sigh.

"I knew that probably wouldn't work. I don't even know if you're still down there. You could have moved underground like you did a few days ago."

Natsu paused and Lucy felt him frantically stand up and pat the ground. Lucy rolled her eyes; he was trying to feel her beneath the Earth and she knew only she had that ability.

"Oh crap! You didn't leave did ya Luce? You have to say something if you're still under there!"

Giggling lightly at his flustered tone and blushing lightly at the nickname, Lucy nodded then almost face palmed when she realized the pink haired mage couldn't see her.

"…I'm still here."

"Oh thank god. I thought we lost you again. How can you stay under there for so long? It's been about forty minutes since your training session with Wendy."

"Can't you sit in your flames forever? The Earth has always protected me…This is where I'm safest."

Lucy could hear him pause. She imagined him scratching the back of his head.

"Well I don't really _sit_ in my flames. I can eat fire though." He sighed. "I guess I get what you mean. We've grown up and surrounded ourselves with our elements. It's always going to be where we're most comfortable."

Lucy nodded and decided she didn't really want to say anything else. She had burrowed underground because she couldn't take the fact she was really the Ultimate Element. She had been adamant from day one that she wasn't anyone's savior and yet here she was, unlocking another element to help defeat evil creatures attacking Flore. None of this was fair.

"You really are weird you know?" Natsu's voice echoed down to her. Lucy glared at the ground above her and flicked her wrist so the ground beneath Natsu's butt shot him forward. Lucy smirked to herself when she felt Natsu land a few feet away. It took a few minutes for him to come back.

"Ow! Lucy that was mean! It's true!" Before Lucy could fling him again, he explained himself. "Gramps told us all about you a year ago when we started searching. You're born into one of the richest families around, you run away to live on the streets. You get taken to the strongest bending arts guilds in Flore, you run away as if your life depended on it. You find out you're literally the strongest bending arts mage in existence and you burrow underground to hide from the truth. Anyone else would be jumping for joy; hell even _I'm_ jealous of you."

"Power means nothing if the person who has it is a coward." Lucy mumbled back. "I'm not capable of being that strong. I've said it before; I'm not a savior Natsu."

"You could be. Everyone has the power to save someone else." Natsu shifted above her. "And you _are_ strong. _Fuck_ Lucy, you almost made Fairy Tail collapse with your earthquakes. You're one of the strongest girls I've ever met."

Lucy smiled at the compliment but ducked her head back into her knees. The Earth rumbled around her in delight. She was sure Natsu had felt it but he said nothing. Lucy bit her lip.

"I've always been able to bend the Earth well…I couldn't possibly bend the elements as well as you, Juvia and Wendy. Makarov said once I learn the other elements we can go out into Flore and defeat the evil creatures killing everyone…. How am I supposed to do this? How are _any of us_ supposed to do this Natsu?"

"Together." Natsu answered instantly. Lucy was surprised by the determination in his voice. "Whether you know it or not, you're a member of Fairy Tail now Lucy and that means you're a part of our family. You're never going to be alone again because anytime you need us; we'll be there for you." Natsu paused and sheepishly added. " _I'll_ be there for you."

Lucy fell silent. What are you supposed to say to something like that? _Thank you_ was on the tip of her tongue but Lucy's mouth couldn't form the words. Natsu seemed to take her silence as a bad sign and he nervously began to fidget above.

"I um…I heard what you were telling Wendy earlier." He admitted sheepishly. "I've always had really good hearing. I smell really well too but that isn't important. I don't know exactly what happened but clearly you've lost someone important to you and you felt like you could have stopped it. I don't know if you were too young or simply didn't have the chance but I know if you could have done something, you would have. It wasn't about you being weak or unable to help, it just was a bad moment. Everyone has one and everyone loses someone they love as we grow. It's a horrible part of life. We can either accept that and try to move on or grieve forever and never truly live again."

Natsu paused.

"I know what it's like to lose someone important. In the moment you feel like you can't _breathe_ because all the air is suddenly sucked from your lungs. Your heart aches and everything seems wrong with the world because how could it _do that_ to you? Its hard Lucy but you _can_ move on. You're stronger for it too I promise. I know you may not believe me but I think you're strong; strong enough to protect us all. You'll always have people by your side to help though. After today you can always count on me to be in your corner, cheering you on…That is if I'm not helping you kick ass on the front line."

Lucy laughed and soon found that she couldn't stop. She knew she couldn't get over her mother's death from a simple speech but she felt closer to Natsu and in that moment her heart felt lighter. She was able to breathe and laugh and because of that, Lucy slowly came back to the surface. When the ground closed back up beneath her feet, Lucy saw Natsu sitting on the ground smiling at her. He offered her an empty plate and Lucy's eyebrows rose.

"You ate my sandwich?"

"I warned you."

0~0~0~0~0

When Lucy walked into the main floor of the guild, Natsu right on her heels, she paused to take everything in. Everyone was talking and laughing with one another and the overall atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Natsu gently grabbed her wrist and led her over to the bar. Happy was sitting on one of the stools but bounced into the air when he noticed the two of them. A brown haired girl was drinking a barrel of wine while Mira wiped off the counter. She smiled when Lucy met her eyes.

"Hi Lucy. Wendy told us you were able to bend air today."

"Just a little."

"That's something to celebrate you know!" Lucy turned to the brown haired girl. She took another swig of her drink before grinning. "Name's Cana. I'll buy you a drink if you want. Finding out you're the Ultimate Element isn't an everyday occurrence you know."

Lucy smiled but shook her head at the offer. Natsu was watching the others around them and Lucy rolled her eyes. He looked like he was looking for another fight. Lucy pulled her wrist free from his grasp so when he ran off he wouldn't tug her along.

"Thanks but I'm still kind of processing everything. I'll take a rain check though."

"I'll hold you to it."

Mira leaned forward on the bar and smiled comfortingly. She slid a glass of water and another sandwich towards Lucy and Lucy took it gratefully. She glared at Natsu and the pink haired boy smiled sheepishly until Mira slid him one too. Lucy took a bite and almost moaned. Natsu grinned.

"See!" He cheered. "It was impossible not to eat it. It was just _sitting_ there!"

Lucy chuckled and playfully shoved Natsu's face away with her hand. Mira noticed that both elemental symbols were glowing faintly.

"Does it do that a lot?"

Lucy glanced down at her hand and shrugged.

"It's been doing that since I got here. I think it's a reaction to being around the other elements."

Mira shared a smirk with Cana before leaning forward once more. The flower tucked behind her ear bloomed into a beautiful, bright red rose.

"Does it happen around Wendy and Juvia too?" She questioned sweetly, her eyes flashing over to a distracted Natsu. Lucy caught the implication and blushed lightly. Cana took one long gulp and leaned closer with a smirk.

"Or is it something that only shows up around Natsu?"

"Um…" Lucy flushed at their heated stares but found the strength to shake her head. "It happens around Wendy and Juvia too. It happened today actually with Wendy."

"Right before you bent air right?" Natsu questioned. Lucy noticed he finished his sandwich and was eyeing hers almost lovingly. With an affectionate eye roll, Lucy pushed the sandwich over to him.

"I think it did. I wasn't really paying attention honestly."

"Hey don't you have to follow the cycle? If you're an Earth bending mage, shouldn't you be learning water right now? Or maybe even fire? Bending air should be impossible for you right now because it's the opposite of your element."

Everyone paused to stare at Cana with wide eyes. She rolled her own and took another drink.

"I know things!" She defended. Mira laughed lightly and turned to Lucy for an answer. She shrugged.

"I guess I thought if I tried the hardest element first, I could prove I wasn't the Ultimate Element."

"Well that didn't work." Cana chimed in. Lucy glared at her but she didn't notice.

"Master Makarov wants me to work with Juvia before going back to air. He actually wants me to meet with him so we can talk about what this all means."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Natsu asked. "Like, you guys are gonna make a game plan?"

"Maybe." Lucy sighed. "Or maybe he's just going to rub it in my face that he was right."

"Master wouldn't be that cruel." Mira interjected. She smiled comfortingly. "Just talk to him. You guys will work something out."

"You're right. I know you are….I'm just nervous."

"I can go with you." Natsu offered. Lucy smiled shyly.

"Really?"

"Yeah! I don't mind! Plus I told you I'd be there for ya right? I'm not the type of guy to go back on his word."

"Thank you Natsu."

Lucy smiled gratefully but didn't notice the light blush that spread throughout Natsu's cheeks. The other two women did and they both shared a look. Natsu reached up to rub the back of his head but grinned boyishly and nodded.

"Yeah, it's no problem Luce."

Deciding not to wait any longer, Lucy took a breath and gathered the courage to walk through the tavern to talk with the Master. Natsu was showing her the way. Neither noticed Mira and Cana lean closer to each other.

"What do you think?" Mira whispered coyly. Her eyes were practically sparklingly as she watched the pair. Cana grinned and took a sip from a flask hidden in her bra.

"I give it two months before it happens." Cana promised. "I mean the girl literally knocked him off his feet."

Mira's only response was another dreamy sigh.

0~0~0~0~0

Natsu watched Lucy fidget in her chair as Gramps continued to ramble on about the past Ultimate Element cycles. He had zoned out after about two seconds and instead took to watching Lucy's reactions. When they first arrived in the office, Lucy had looked green. After she knew Gramps wasn't going to gloat, she calmed down a little and he started his rant. She still looked nervous but she seemed to be listening to whatever he was saying. Natsu quickly grew bored and without Happy there to distract him, he groaned loudly.

"Can't we just skip all that stuff?" He whined impatiently. Gramps glared at him. "Hey! I'm just saying! Lucy can learn all of that later. I'm sure she just wants to hear what happens next. I know I do."

"Honestly, he's right." Lucy admitted sheepishly. Her hands wiggled in her lap, a clear sign of her anxiety. "I was only able to bend air today because my emotions were everywhere and all three elements were with me. I need to learn that last right? And instead focus on water or fire?"

Gramps rubbed his chin for a moment before nodding. Natsu almost sighed in relief when he realized he wasn't going to ramble about the past again.

"Well if you followed the cycle, you would be working with fire next but knowing Natsu; I think you will have a safer bet working with Juvia. It won't hurt your bending to learn the elements in a different order. I just want what will make you most comfortable."

"Why wouldn't she be comfortable training with me?!" Natsu roared. He jumped up from his seat. "I can teach her just fine!"

Lucy squealed and jumped away from him while Gramps just gave him a dry look. When he glanced down he noticed he had covered himself and his chair in his hot flames. Lucy looked almost terrified and Natsu was quickly put out and deflated.

"…Point taken."

"Once you master water, you can move on to fire then eventually air."

"How long will all of this take?" Lucy asked worriedly. She paused to glance down at her fingers. "I've seen the news and heard the stories. Flore needs help now doesn't it? Can it really afford to wait for me to learn the other elements?"

"No." Gramps told her honestly. "If we would have found you a year ago, maybe it could have but now…things are much worse then what they used to be. I've talked it over with the council and they've agreed to send out teams to help defeat the creatures wreaking havoc. You're going to be doing your training on the road."

"I've never actually fought anyone using my bending…" Lucy admitted quietly. Natsu turned to her in disbelief. She caught his look and in embarrassment, glared back.

"You'll learn. Everyone is going to work with you. We're going to send you out on your first mission in two weeks. You'll be going with your elements and some of Fairy Tail's finest to ensure your safety."

Natsu watched as Lucy seemed to take everything in. Suddenly her brown eyes flashed over to meet his and he felt his chest warm when she smiled at him softly. Something in her look was telling him she was remembering his words from earlier and he hoped he had inspired her, just like she had done for him.

"Okay." Lucy agreed softly. Gramps seemed mildly stunned by her answer. She faced him determinedly. "Okay." She agreed again.

"I will train with Fairy Tail and _try_ to help get Flore back under control. I can't promise anything but I'm willing to try."

"Excuse my expression." Gramps apologized breathlessly. "But I didn't think you would agree so quickly. I thought you said you weren't a savior?"

Lucy glanced at him from the corner of her eye and gave him that _look_ again. Natsu was surprised to find himself mildly breathless from the exchange. She grinned lightly and shrugged.

"Anyone can be a savior. I guess I just had to find people worth saving."

* * *

 **Okay so I've written this bottom author's note like 5 times and it refuses to save. Hopefully this time it sticks.**

 **I had Lucy try air first because she knew it was going to be the hardest. Since it would be hard to do she thought she could prove she wasn't the Ultimate Element but obviously that didn't work out for her :3 I still plan to make air hard for her to learn but that's for later chapters.**

 **I only got four reviews for this chapter which was disappointing but I understand I'm new. I hope to get more popular as time goes on. My updating will be based on reviews though. ten reviews and I update that day. Anything less and I update once every two weeks or so.**

 **IF YOUR A GRUVIA FAN BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY ONE SHOT "Crazy Girl"**

 **Check out my other stories too! :D**

 **Ten reviews people! :3**

 **For those who also follow Bullet Wound, I'm almost done with that chapter. I only need two more reviews to hit ten for that story *Wink wink nudge nudge***

 **Thanks to _Guest, Shunakoo25, Crimsonlink310, and katiekat2001_ for reviewing! **

**BONUS: If you think of a good quote for the story I could use above each chapter leave it in the reviews or PM me about it! I'll need the exact quote and who said it. As expected you will be created for giving me the quote.**

 **Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Water;**_ _our blood_

 _ **Air;**_ _our breath_

 _ **Earth;**_ _our body_

 _ **Fire;**_ _our spirit_

* * *

Lucy took a deep breath and shifted her bare feet to get into a more stable stance. Her official training started today and Lucy could admit she was a little excited. Makarov had arranged for the four elements to battle each other in the Fairy Tail arena to try and gauge her fighting style. She had never used her bending for fighting anyone but Lucy was determined to try. Thanks to her talk with Natsu, she was willing to accept her title as Ultimate Element which meant she needed to learn how to fight so she could protect Flore. Lucy felt like this moment would be the start of something wonderful. She let her eyes slowly scan over the others in the arena. All the elements were surrounding her and the earth symbol on her right hand was glowing brightly. She took another deep breath and felt power course through her.

Juvia was across from her on the other side of the arena. Her blue waves were free from her usual curly hairstyle and washing down her back and torso like water. She was standing in one section of the river that surrounded the entire arena; Makarov had made sure each element was available to them while they trained. Juvia's feet seemed to vanish completely in the water and Lucy remembered what Gray had told her earlier; Juvia could become on with her element. She could melt herself and become the river if she wanted too. Water was her blood and Juvia would always be a powerful bending mage as long as she was around water. When Juvia caught Lucy's eye, she smirked and lifted her hands up; water from the river followed her fingertips and she was quickly surrounded with it. It almost looked like she was an octopus; eight streams of water were floating around her body.

Lucy glanced to the left and saw Wendy in a battle ready stance. She was much smaller than her three opponents but she looked determined and ready for anything. She was taking deep breaths like Lucy was but everyone could see the air flowing around her. With every breath Wendy took, the windstorm around her would only grow larger. Eventually Wendy was floating a few inches above the ground as she spun her hand in front of her; the air supporting her began to swirl along with her hand until Wendy was floating above a small tornado; the wind she was creating caused Lucy's hair to blow everywhere. With every breath Wendy took, the air around her would only become more powerful.

Lucy looked to her right to stare down her final opponent. Natsu was laughing excitedly as he held out his hands. Fire from the torches next to him exploded and soon their fires were three feet taller. Wendy's air wasn't strong enough to put out the powerful flames. When Natsu noticed her staring at him, he grinned brightly and punched his hands together. Bright and powerful red flames exploded from his fingertips and within seconds, fire covered every inch of his hands like gloves. Lucy noticed with a small smile, that the more excited Natsu became about their duel, the brighter his flames would grow. His spirit was flowing right out of him and into his flames. It was one of the most amazing things Lucy had ever seen.

She shut her eyes for a few seconds to try and center herself. Once her eyes were shut, Lucy could feel her element's bodies against her earth. Natsu's loud and rough footsteps were practically bouncing as he waited for Master Makarov's signal. Juvia's river was flowing rapidly beneath her and while Lucy couldn't feel Wendy's on the ground –mostly because the small girl was floating- she could feel the pebbles shaking and flying around because of her tornado. She wouldn't have to open her eyes to know where they all were. Lucy Heartfilia was the Lady of the Earth. She gave her body to the earth and vice versa; they were one with each other.

When she opened her eyes, Makarov was staring down at all of them from his spot in the stands. Gajeel, Levy, Gray and Erza were next to him. Lucy chuckled when she noticed how uncomfortable Levy looked; her three friends were practically itching to jump down and join in the fight. Makarov whistled loudly to gain their attention.

"I don't want you to pull any punches!" He called out to them. "I know you all haven't fought with your elements for a while but I need to see where you all are. I need to know if you're prepared for what Flore has become. Battle wisely and use your elements to guide you. You four are all Fairy Tail strong! Show me what that means!"

"Juvia won't you Love Rivals make her look bad in front of Gray-sama! Be prepared for her best!"

"I won't let you guys down! My wind is stronger than it looks!"

"I've been waiting for this for a _long_ time! I'm all fired up now!"

Wanting to sound cool with her own battle cry, Lucy thumped her fists together and stomped her foot to make the ground shake; rocks flew up to surround her fists and the dirt beneath her swallowed her feet so she would be almost impossible to knock over. She grinned and held her hand up in the air; her earth symbol glowed for everyone to see.

"I'm strong and sturdy! You won't knock me down!"

Everyone let out a cheer at her enthusiasm and Lucy felt herself grinning ear to ear. She had never felt like this before; she felt confident and powerful enough to try and take down her other elements in a practice battle. Maybe she really was Fairy Tail strong. Makarov smiled above her in pride. With the lift of his hand a buzzer sounded and the battle began.

Within seconds, all four elements were flying towards the middle of the arena and exploding against one another.

Natsu cackled in delight before stomping his foot against the ground and using his flames to launch himself in the air. Fire was floating around him as he began to fly towards Juvia's river. The bluenette laughed and quickly shot two large streams of water at Natsu's feet to extinguish his flames. She succeeded but putting out his flames caused smoke to cover Natsu's body as he flew towards her. Juvia was stuck waiting for him to hit the ground; she couldn't see him. Natsu landed in her river with a loud splash and smirked. Juvia lifted her fists and the two let their elements crash against one another. Smoke quickly spread throughout the arena making it almost impossible to see.

Lucy wasn't sure what move to make first. Wendy solved the problem for her. A large gust of wind blew right next to her and Lucy panicked and lifted a large earth shield to block out the wind. When it stopped blowing, Lucy let the shield fall back to the ground. Wendy had blown away enough smoke so they could see each other. She smiled and waved sweetly.

"Looks like it's you and me right now Lucy!" She cheered. Lucy smiled and got into a fighting position her mother had taught her. She had never had the chance to really use it before now.

"Looks like it." Lucy agreed. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

As soon as the worlds left her mouth, Wendy unleashed a large gust of wind at Lucy's feet to try and knock her over. Lucy's feet were already firmly placed beneath the dirt so the attack had no effect. Lucy took a quick breath and attacked. She released her feet from the earth and jumped to spin and kick several large rocks towards Wendy. Lucy was fully prepared to stop the rocks mid-attack if Wendy were unable to dodge them but the small girl easily spun and floated through the air with ease. The rocks all flew past her and crashed into the tall wall behind her. At Lucy's surprised look, Wendy giggled sweetly.

"When we begin your air training, you'll learn that. Just like you are one with the earth, I am one with the sky. We float together."

Now having a new respect for the younger girl, Lucy grinned once more and the two easily fell into an attack-dodge-attack-dodge cycle. It was almost like they were playing with one another. Wendy sucked in a large breath and when she blew it out a large tornado escaped her lips and blew away all the smoke surrounding them. Lucy could once again see Natsu and Juvia battling.

Natsu had glanced over at her as soon as the smoke cleared and smiled. Lucy didn't have time to warn him to stay focused before Juvia was using a water whip to smack him across the face with a loud slap. Natsu cried out and held up his red cheek as Juvia crossed her arms and smirked at him.

"Don't stare at Lucy-san while battling with Juvia or you'll get water slapped."

There was a cheer from the stands and Lucy glanced up to see Gray and Gajeel laughing loudly.

"Yeah you show him Juvia!" Gray shouted. He was grinning and trying to contain his laughter. Juvia beamed brightly at his encouragement.

"Put him out Waterworks!" Gajeel added. Lucy and Wendy both stopped their fight to giggle at their antics. Even Makarov looked like he was fighting a smile.

"You wanna go you losers!?" Natsu shouted back at them angrily. The flames covering his fists grew and he smirked. "I got plenty to go around! I'll take you both on!"

Gray and Gajeel both agreed excitedly before jumping down into the arena and immediately beginning their attack. Natsu's flames flew around them. Wendy giggled again and began to descend until she was standing next to Lucy. Juvia calmly walked over to the both of them, every few steps using a water shield to prevent Natsu's flames from hitting her. Once the three girls were beside each other, they all shared a look before laughing. Juvia clasped her hands together.

"Doesn't my Gray-sama look so handsome? His ice is so beautiful."

Wendy smiled and hugged herself as a white cat floated beside her. The cat landed on her head and Wendy rubbed her head.

"Those three are going to tear this place to the ground someday." The cat informed them dryly. Lucy tried to remember what her name was; Wendy had told her earlier.

"Is that a vision Carla?" Wendy asked curiously. Lucy mentally saved her name away; she didn't want to forget anyone's name here. Carla shook her head.

"I don't need a vision to see that happening."

Lucy watched Gajeel crash back into a large pillar before it collapsed behind him. He shot a metal blade towards Natsu's head but it missed and pierced the wall behind him. When Gajeel shot out a hand to pull it back, he left a large hole. Gray was making ice appear throughout the arena and making everything slippery. When he shot several ice spears, they all slammed into another pillar and made it explode. Natsu's flames were causing several small fires to appear. Juvia sighed and began working to put them out as the boys continued to fight.

"Does training always end up like this?" Lucy asked inquisitively. Wendy paused to ponder her question before nodding.

"Pretty much. Natsu always gets too excited while Gray and Gajeel can't resist fighting with him." Wendy laughed lightly "Now's right about the time that Erza-"

A loud slam was heard. Lucy held up her arms to cover her eyes from the dust that erupted and spread from the boom. Seconds later, Lucy heard several screams and the sounds of blades slicing through the air. When she was able to see what was happening, Lucy paled. Erza was standing on top of a pile of defeated bending arts mages and holding her sword above her head in victory.

"Woah." Lucy whispered in amazement. Wendy nodded.

"Yeah that's how things usually end."

Makarov sighed loudly and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Levy was smiling sheepishly at all of them next to him.

"You brats were supposed to battle! Not destroy my arena!" He shouted down to all of them. "Lucy needs to fight her other elements so she can practice different fighting styles."

"Don't worry Master!" Erza cried out. "We will all attack Lucy so she can show us her true strength!"

"Wait what!?" Lucy squeaked. "Not all at once right?"

"You're the Ultimate Element aren't you?" Erza asked seriously. "You can handle it."

"B-But I've never-"

"You'll be fine. You're strong enough to take all of out." Erza waved off her concerns and pulled out her two swords threateningly. Lucy gulped. Juvia was by Erza's side and already in an attack stance. Gray and Gajeel looked uncomfortable as they stood beside Erza but were ready to train with her none the less. Wendy offered her a supportive smile before flying over to Juvia's side. Natsu was still laid out on the floor from Erza's attack.

"You can't be knocked down right?" Erza shouted out to her. Lucy felt herself shaking; she didn't know if she could do this. When her eyes met Erza's she noticed the pride staring back at her. Erza was grinning at her kindly and offering her support though at the moment they were enemies in battle. The red head truly believe Lucy was powerful enough to take them all out. Lucy wanted to have that confidence too; if Erza could believe in her, Lucy could believe too. She nodded and got back into her stance. Her mind was reeling with ideas on how to take them all out at once. It didn't seem possible.

With a battle cry Erza was charging towards her. Lucy took a deep breath and shut her eyes. Her mother's words rang through her head.

" _Paitent and sturdy. Feel the earth beneath your feet and wait for the perfect moment."_

With her eyes closed, Lucy could feel Erza's thundering footsteps getting closer. With one swift moment, Lucy was lifting her hand and shifting her foot slightly. Seconds later one of Erza's swords was falling to the ground; her arm glued to the wall with a rock cuff. Erza was stunned at the sudden movement but quickly snapped out of it. She attempted to throw her other sword; it soared through the air like a bullet. Lucy slid against the ground and lifted both of her hands; the ground shot up to catch the sword in the air and pin Erza's other hand to the wall. She struggled to free herself but Lucy's earth cuffs were almost impossible to break through as long as Lucy had control of them.

Everyone was too stunned to move.

Lucy opened her eyes and watched everyone's expressions sheepishly. She was embarrassed by their stares. Lucy didn't know where any of that had come from; she had seen her mom practice positions like that and thought they were the best course of action. Erza was nodding in approval as she relaxed against her restraints. She was out.

Juvia seemed to be the first to snap out of that trance. She was rushing towards Lucy with lighter footsteps and a large stream of water ready to attack. Lucy braced herself and swung her arms up to create a large rock shield to block the water's flow. As soon as the water crashed onto her shield, Lucy swung her hand and created rock shoes on Juvia's feet. She was unable to move. Her hands were still free though and Juvia quickly used the rest of her water to slam it into Lucy's side. Thankfully Juvia had gone easy on her so the most she would have would be a bruise. Lucy flicked her wrists a few times and two more rock cuffs formed over Juvia's wrists. She conceded with a small smile and Lucy moved the ground beneath the bluenette's feet until she was trapped beside Erza.

"Okay no more kid stuff." Gajeel announced. He pounded his fists together as iron covered his arms. "Your rocks can't do shit to me Blondie."

Lucy struggled to find a way to bring down Gajeel. Anytime she attempted to cuff one of his hands, he would use his other iron covered hand to break the rock in half. He did the same thing if she attempted to lock him in place. Gajeel had just swung an iron spear towards her when Lucy heard someone shouting to her.

"Whole body Lu-chan!" Levy called out above her. Lucy grinned as an idea came to her and quickly spun a few times to hit rocks towards Gajeel to distract him. He easily broke them as they flew towards him and chuckled.

"Is that all you got Bunny Girl?" He snickered. Lucy grinned to herself and shot a few more rocks towards him before quickly stomping the ground, clenching her fists, opening her fingers out widely and raising them in the air. The ground beneath Gajeel shook then suddenly shot up and encased his entire body; only his head was free. Gajeel struggled against the restraint but with his limbs firmly pressed straight against his body it was impossible. He snickered once more.

"Gihihihi. Okay." He nodded and smirked. "I can accept this. You must be the Ultimate Element if you can take me out like this."

"Thanks." Lucy laughed at his strange compliment. She nodded up towards Levy in thanks and the small bending arts mage offered her a thumbs up in return. With only Gray and Wendy left standing she felt like she had a decent chance. She couldn't believe how well she was doing. Gray nodded to her as a quick warning before he was flinging ice lances in her direction. Lucy jumped, ducked, spun and slid to avoid the attacks but Gray was throwing them too fast. In a mild panic, Lucy disappeared underground. She could hear Gray calling out to her from above. She shut her eyes to try and feel where he was.

She could feel Gray rushing to where she had sunk into the earth, Wendy's delicate footsteps behind him. Lucy waited until they were both standing above her before she pushed herself up behind them and spun her arms around until the two were sunk into the ground beneath them; their shoulders and head sticking out. Lucy never liked bringing anyone fully underground but this way they were unable to attack further. Wendy smiled brightly as Lucy panted and struggled to catch her breath. She had never moved the earth so much in a day before. Gray continued to struggle for a few seconds before sighing and nodding in defeat. Master Makarov and Levy hurried down the stairs to rush to her side. Levy incased her in a hug.

"Oh my god Lu!" She gasped. "That was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen!"

"It was quite impressive my child." Makarov agreed. "You bend the earth like a master. If you can learn the other three elements that well, I have no doubt we'll be able to take back Flore!"

Lucy flushed red and nervously tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. Levy was still hugging her while Makarov grinned at her. She had never received so much praise; it was nice. Realizing everyone was still immobile, Lucy quickly stomped the ground and released all of them from their restraints. They all crowded around her to offer their own praise. Lucy only noticed Natsu's still form when everyone began to head towards the Fairy Tail Bar in celebration.

When Lucy stood over him, she noticed his eyes were open. She stared at him curiously and he easily grinned back up at her.

"I thought about jumping in last minute but I could feel the ground shaking from here." He confessed. "Thought it might be best for me to hang out a bit."

Lucy laughed and quickly offered him a hand up. Once he was standing, Natsu squeezed her hand before letting it fall back to her side. He clenched his fist and let a flame cover it.

"But don't think that gets you out of a fight." He declared happily. "Someday you and I are gonna duke it out and I'm going to show all those idiots just how strong I am; I'll be the only one to say I've beaten the Ultimate Element."

Lucy rolled her eyes and the two fell into a comfortable silence until they reached the bar. Natsu immediately began to tease Gajeel and Gray for their defeat which resulted in another bar fight. Lucy spotted Juvia and Levy by the bar and hurriedly headed there. Mirajane quickly congratulated her on her victory before all three girls were simply staring at her. Lucy glanced around.

"What?" She asked worriedly. "Why are you guys staring at me?"

Mirajane pulled a large stamp out from underneath the bar counter and showed it to her. The Fairy Tail insignia was staring back at her. Mirajane smiled softly.

"You really are Fairy Tail strong you know." Mirajane told her softly. "Anytime you want to, you can show others that too."

Lucy rubbed her earth symbol on her right hand as she thought it over. Today was one of the best she ever had. The way everyone here supported and loved each other made her crave that kind of bond. Everyone was so kind to her today despite all that she had put them through since coming here; even Mirajane now was smiling at her as if she was already one of them. Lucy smiled and nodded, holding out her left hand.

"I want everyone to see it." Lucy announced. "This way anytime I look down at my hands, I'll know I'm Lady of the Earth _and_ Fairy Tail strong."

"What color do you want?" Mirajane asked excitedly. "Probably green right?"

Lucy laughed and shook her head.

"Hey I may play in the dirt barefoot all day but I assure you I'm still a lady. I'd like pink."

"Perfect choice!"

Once the small symbol was on her left hand, Lucy felt excitement course through her. She quickly stood up and scanned the room for Natsu to show him. She found him seconds later when he was flying through the air and crashing right into her. They both fell to the floor with a thud and Lucy shoved Natsu off of her as soon as the room stopped spinning.

"Sorry Luce." Natsu quickly apologized. He offered her his hand but paused when he noticed the pink mark on hers. "Really? You…You became a part of Fairy Tail?"

Lucy nodded and placed her hand in his so he could look at the mark.

"Today was amazing Natsu and I want more days like that. It's just like you said; together we'll stop the evil spreading throughout Flore. I just want to show you guys I'm with you one hundred percent."

Natsu grinned brightly and picked her up to spin her happily. Everyone paused to watch the two of them and Lucy quickly flushed in embarrassment.

"Natsu!" She cried. "Put me down you idiot!"

"I'm sorry Luce, I'm just excited!" He cheered. "GUYS, LUCY JOINED FAIRY TAIL."

Loud cheers erupted throughout the bar and everyone began to celebrate. Natsu set her down and grinned at her happily. Lucy couldn't stop herself from smiling back. Happy flew above them before landing on her head so she could pet him. As the blue cat purred at her touch, Natsu noticed Gajeel and Gray working their way through everyone to continue their fight. He nudged Lucy.

"Hey those two need another one of your lessons." Natsu decided. "Wanna team up with me to take em out? You know become partners?"

"We can be a team!" Happy chimed in. Lucy glanced over at the two men approaching then down at her hands. Both symbols seemed to glow back up at her. She nodded quickly and got into a stance besides Natsu.

"Let's show em what happens when they mess with two Fairy Tail mages."

* * *

 **Hey Homies!**

 **Something I want to address before I forget. When I wrote that Lucy could see where everyone was with her eyes closed; I was thinking Toph. For those who watched Avatar The Last Airbender, you know that because she was blind, she saw other people with her feet and eventually taught Aang the same. Lucy earthbends like that when she fights just like Toph.**

 **So it's been a while since I updated and for that I'm sorry. I wasn't getting a lot of reviews on this story and I kind of got really disappointed and lost a little bit of inspiration for writing it but I had this chapter somewhat started and found myself finishing it. I want to give the people you actually like this story a gift. So I hoped you enjoyed.**

 **I don't want to sound like I won't write this story if I don't get reviews because that's not the case. I'm going to keep writing this story until it's finished; I just really enjoy hearing your guys thoughts on the chapters I worked hard on you know? Each review means so much to me and makes my heart so happy, I want to write more and better to keep pleasing you.**

 **If we start hearing from more people we can have some kind of reward system. What would you guys want? In a few other stories I've had**

 _1) Review Responses: I send you a PM responding to your review and we can have a nice chat about it_

 _2) Sneak peek: If we hit a certain amount of reviews, I give you guys a look into the next chapter_

 _3) Ask and Answer: You guys ask me questions and I answer them. They could be about stories or me or my opinions on certain things your choice!_

 **Let me know what you guys are thinking! I already finished Saturday's chapter of Saudade (go check that out if you haven't already. We're close to earning another sneak peek!) and I'm going to try and have the next chapter of Bullet Wound up in the next couple of days.**

 **Thank you to** _MasterSakura117, Crimsonlink310,_ Guest, **and** _Leeyakim12_ **for reviewing you guys are awesome!**

 **Be sure to review and check out my other stories. Bullet Wound will be updated next!**


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